


The Aftermath

by 316_frogs



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Depression, Gen, Jaime Reyes-centric, Jaime gets attached to the reach but also v paranoid, On Mode, Stockholm Syndrome, he is an Angsty Teen, no one really knows what to do
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-07-08 09:08:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15927266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/316_frogs/pseuds/316_frogs
Summary: Jaime is a kid who was essentially held hostage in his own body for two months by enemies working to mold his mind. He's not okay





	The Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own anything. This story takes a look the Reach's impact on Jaime on a more serious note. In canon, they kind of brush it off (and in the majority of the fandom), but that would fuck you up big time.

Only Jaime could hear him.

Only.

Jaime.  
The one sided conversations weren’t so one-sided, but nobody knew that. Of course, nobody really bothered to ask. With the exception of Conner, but Conner didn’t know what that sort of influence can have on a person’s psyche over a long period of time. He treated it as if was no big deal.  
And really, it wasn’t; Jaime had often debated whether to tell the others or not, but in the end he deemed it not necessary. Though when looking back on his decision, Jaime could no longer tell if that was his honest conclusion or the Scarab’s influence. Either way, it was a mistake.

Khaji Da was an AI infused with Jaime’s spine, the central passage for all nerves and thoughts. Nothing was hid from the scarab. The scarab was a relentless machine, while Jaime was a human. Humans cannot guard their thoughts or attack against intrusive thoughts forever, especially during sleep. But robots are another thing, as long as they have a power source, they can go on forever. It was only a matter of time.

At the very beginning of their bonding, Khaji Da found his host to be insubordinate, soft, weak, but worst of all, strong willed. Only one of those traits could be kept for his perfect host, and even then it would have to be redirected. In a perfect world, Khaji Da would be paired up with the perfect host from the get go, yet this boy would have to do for the foreseeable future.

And so, he got to planning. Over short term, he would try to abrasively wear down Jaime’s aversion to using lethal means. Over long term, he would mentally condition Jaime’s subconscious using various means such as dreams, intrusive thoughts, word association, etc. 

Jaime never noticed all the subtle changes in himself and others. It was like watching a tree grow, the seeds were planted yet nothing would sprout for a while, and longer yet for it to blossom. It was the small changes that truly got to him. The slightest alteration of his teammates voices to his ears to plant distrust at their lower, more menacing voices. As his friends speak, Jaime never quite registers but strains to listen to the quietest whisper from the back of his mind warning of lies, hatred, and malice. He would see flashes of those in his field of vision, dead at his hands, for millionths of a second. He would never notice how slowly the urges to kill and distrust came less and less from scarab and more and more from himself.

Jaime began to distance himself from the team, trying to run from his thoughts. Thoughts he presumed were scarab’s, but slowly began to realize, were his.

All that changed when Bart came around. He told of the evil Blue Beetle of the future, that the only reason he came back was to stop Blue Beetle from becoming evil. Jaime was shocked and thankful for his hermano, but could only passively disagree with scarab’s assessment.

‘This fate is inevitable. The Impulse is delusional in his hopes. He knows too much. Recommended: kill him.’

‘NO! He may know a lot, but we shouldn’t kill him. Besides I would do anything to prevent that.’

* * *

The Reach Invasion was beginning to gain momentum, and suddenly his fate felt all too real. He was reckless in his missions, not caring enough about his own life; hopefully the only life he would ever take would be his own. And though normally Khaji Da would intervene at the second of suicidal thoughts, Khaji Da reasoned if he could get used to the idea of taking his own life, taking those of others would be easy.  
At one point, Jaime woke up, slick with sweat from yet another nightmare, and resolved to tell others of his ‘prophecy’. Maybe if he felt welcomed enough he would even tell of his recent troubles. Though he hadn’t trusted anyone in the league for a long time, and he knew trust was a two-way street.

The league began to help him look into ways of removing the scarab. Jaime vaguely believed his recent mental issues to be the direct result of Khaji Da (though his influence wouldn’t truly show up until later.) Jaime truly thought all his problems would just disappear one the scarab was gone. He was desperate for respite from his thoughts. Just a quiet place for a day, would work. Anything.

Laying on the table, Jaime wondered if the two inside of him would accidentally screw up and kill him. He shook that thought off, and hoped for their success. 

He had been given anesthetics for the operation, yet he had never been more numb when he received the news.

“Jaime, honestly, I don’t think that scarab is coming off as long as you live.” The world slowed, and just like that, his easy escape from the thoughts was ripped from his fingertips. He distantly felt Bart wrapping his arms around him, and saw a concerned expression. 

‘Jaime Reyes, it was foolish of you to believe you could rid yourself of me after we bonded.’  
‘Yes, but he did say as long as I lived right?’

‘That is correct. You will die if I am removed.’

‘Then what’s the issue here?’

‘You will die if I am removed.’

‘Again, no issue. I want you off, esse.’

‘This desire is unwise and foolish. Look into alternative means.’

‘Alternative means?’

‘Death is not the only option to remove a scarab.’

‘Explain. Now.’

‘If another Reach Warrior were to have access into this scarab, they could remove it. The repercussions upon your body are unknown, but death is not necessarily guaranteed.’

‘So you’re saying I can either definitely die, or maybe die. Pretty good chances.’

‘This type of thinking is unhealthy and detrimental to the host. Releasing oxytocin now.’  
Though Jaime despised the scarab for messing with his hormones, he was thankful for the small respite from his depression.

* * *

He stood in a small crowd surrounding Miss M. assess the Green Beetle. Though he wished she would be more thorough, Jaime found himself more impatient than anything. Finally, a chance to rest. 

Soon the Green Beetle was attached to him. Jaime closed his eyes, waiting for the end or quiet, either way, a place to rest.

* * *

Next Jaime found himself, not dead, and somehow accompanied by even more voices. He saw an imposter posing as himself to his friends and family for months. Surrounded by his enemies, Jaime found himself watching his words, and striking out at any weak points of the Reach, however futile. Jaime was alone, and betrayed, trapped in his own body with nowhere to run. 

Two months of this. It was a special kind of sadistic torture. He only wanted peace, and yet, he was forced to live in an even more agonizing reality. Every argument he had was drawn out to the point he doubted his own morals and identity. Every major outburst he had, if he ever tried to gain control back, the ambassador held his family’s lives hostage. He watched his body break his own moral code over and over, the feeling of wrongness began to settle. Jaime had at least hoped that he would get a chance to take a back seat to his life and not worry, yet the scientist and the ambassador seemed to enjoy playing with and breaking his mind. 

He no longer had a body or identity to tie himself to. The Blue Beetle was a superhero who helped people, currently played by Khaji Da and the ambassador. Jaime Reyes was a good older brother, friend, and son. And yet, he was neither. Everyone he had trusted, even if only a tad, made it evident that identities were only skin deep. He had no contact with anyone but his enemies for two months. He watched his family ignore his cries for help, yet his enemy responded to his cries. Soon the lines between enemy and ally began to blur. The Reach gave him identity back, they responded, he mattered. 

Black and Green Beetle called him brother and so he was.

* * *

Captured in a bubble by his old teammates, they finally freed not only the Blue but also the Green Beetle. After the ritual, they forced the armor off to double check. Apparently, they liked what they saw. Green Beetle soon began to thank them, though carefully eyeing his silent younger brother.

“Well, Blue? You’re free! How does it feel?” He slowly turned to the source of the noise. He regarded Bart with no expression and turned to look at the ceiling.

“...It’s quieter.”

“What?! Her-man-o! You’re free! And it’s quiet? That’s all you can say?!”

“Instead of five, there are three.” 

“Three what? Three what? Comon. Don’t leave me hanging!”

“Voices.” At that, the cave quieted. Barbara and Zatanna looked to the other, reaffirming the others opinion to take Blue to Rose.

“Well, I’m sure you want to get back home. So let's get going to the cave!”

And so the group left. Blue was quiet for the whole way except to reaffirm his well being.

* * *

“Well, kid. I can’t help you if you don’t talk about it.”

“Good, because I don’t want your help and I’m tired of talking.”

“You can’t just run away from the issue.”

“I am not running away! I’m just tired of being forced to listen and talk by my enemies!” Now they were getting somewhere.

“Jaime, I’m not your enemy.” Jaime couldn’t stand the pity in her voice.

“That’s what the Reach said too.”

“We are not the Reach. The Reach enslaved-”

“Me. They enslaved me. And now you’re trying to put the shackles on me too.” They were all the same, weren’t they? They all wanted him to do their bidding, abide by their morals.

“No one is trying to capture you.”

“I disagree. You might not trap me in my body but you try to persuade me to obey you without forcing me too.”

“I’m trying to help you, Jaime.”

“Why should I believe you?! The Reach said the same damn thing!”

“You should believe me because we care about you. Your team cares about you. Your sister, mom and dad, they all care about you. And they’re entrusting me to help you get better.”

“And all those people who ‘cared so much’ are the ones who never noticed the difference between their beloved Jaime and a fucking AI. At least with the Reach they actually cared.” Rose was unnerved, that was a dangerous sentiment.

“Why do you think the Reach cared?”

“They talked to me. When everyone else was fooled, they saw the real me. They responded and talked to me when no one else would. They accepted me as their little brother and so I am.”

“But they are also the ones directly responsible for isolating and enslaving you. Aren’t you happy to be free of their grip?”

“But I’m not.” Jaime sounded dead.

“You’re not what?”

“Free of them. Can’t you tell? I know I should hate them for everything they’ve done and stand for, but I don’t. I’m not free of anything.” He took a deep sigh. “You know, the scarab in my back, it’s sentient. It's directly attached to my spine. It whispers and whispers, and it never stops. Even now, it's telling me not to trust you and get the hell out of here and I’m half tempted to listen to it.”

“I see… How long has this been going on for?”

“Ever since I got it. I used to fight it, but I just don’t see the point anymore. It’s like trying to stop a slow-moving train by yourself. It’s pointless.”

“Has anything ever worked at making it silent?”

“No.” Jaime seemed to be hesitant at this answer. He thought of death. That would quiet the scarab. But he didn’t want to be physically trapped again under suicide watch.

“What does it tell you to do most often?” Jaime had a distant look in his eyes and was despondent for several moments.

“Huh?” He blinked as if coming out of a trance.

“I think that’s enough for today Jaime.” They had made good progress today and she needed to tell the team members of his situation. He got up and went to leave. She discreetly snuck a bug onto his jacket.

* * *

“So how is he?” For all Nightwing’s faults, he really cared about his team.

“He seems to have a sort of Stockholm Syndrome. He knows he shouldn’t think of the Reach fondly, but does.”

“That’s absurd! They enslaved him!”

“Yes, but they were his only company for two months. In his eyes, everyone that was fooled by the Reach in his body never cared or really knew him for himself. But the Reach did, they talked directly to his conscience and still do.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, the scarab on his back. He says it’s sentient and has talked to him since day one.”

“That would explain him always talking to himself. You say he’s been talking to the Reach ever since the beginning? He’s been conspiring with the enemy? How are we to know that he didn’t go over to their side willingly?”

“He was put on mode, remember.”

“That still doesn't clear him of suspicion. I want eyes on him for a while longer, we can't have him doing something stupid.”

“As a therapist, I have to advise against that. He just was freed from constant surveillance by the Reach. Jaime already has doubts about who's really on his side. A guard will just further distance him from us.”

“Then how do you propose we go about dealing with an unpredictable incredibly dangerous kid?”

“Well, I don't know how were going to deal with the scarab talking but I think more bed rest and therapy is required before anything drastic. Let me assess the damage so far.” Nightwing squinted in distaste.

“Okay, I'll leave it in your hands. But be careful. We don't know how this could go wrong.”

“I understand.” Dick nodded and quietly left the room. Rose clasped her hands atop her desk and leaned into them, breathing deeply. How was she going to deal with Jaime?

**Author's Note:**

> I might continue this at some point but don't count on it.


End file.
